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Most digital cameras have a zoom lens that lets you take in a wider view or get closer to the subject. Except for a few prosumer and semi-pro models that have manual zoom lenses, which you operate by twisting the lens barrel, most have motorized zooms that you control by pressing a lever, rocker switch, or buttons on the camera.

Zoom lenses are wonderful for bringing distant subjects in closer to you or for capturing a wider view that includes more of the subject in your picture. We tend to place more emphasis on cameras with zoom lenses that start from a true wide angle (equivalent to a 28 mm to 35 mm lens on a 35-mm film camera). You can always crop your images on a PC to get in closer, but you can't add data that was outside the image area after the fact.

You should be aware of two issues when using your zoom lens:

First, zooming will change image perspective. In other words, wide angle tends to push foreground and background areas and subjects further apart, and telephoto compresses them closer together. Perspective can add to or subtract from the quality, interest, and appeal of your photographs. When you want to get closer to the subject or include more in the picture, you should consider moving a few steps nearer or further away rather than relying solely on the zoom lens.

Second, your digital camera might boast a 9X or 24X zoom lens. But if you look at the fine print, you'll see that it's broken into two components: optical zoom and digital zoom. The only number that should concern you is the optical zoom (typically 3X or 4X, though some are as large as 12X), which relates to the physical construction of the lens. Digital zoom makes a small image appear larger using electronic tricks, but it actually reduces overall image quality. For optimal image quality, turn off your camera's digital zoom option.

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